The Other Side of Chocolate
Jan 31, 2011 ● By Megy Karydes
Americans do love their chocolate, and special events, such as Valentine’s Day, make it easy to indulge. But before you choose chocolate for that someone special, consider the fact that 200,000 children in West Africa work under forced labor conditions on cocoa farms to help produce much of that chocolate, according to the United Nation Children’s Fund.
More than 40 percent of the world’s cocoa comes from the Ivory Coast in West Africa. Kids as young as 7 years old work illegally on the plantations, where they face dangerous jobs such as cutting down the cocoa and carrying heavy loads. Some are victims of child trafficking, and most of them are never paid .
Fair-trade chocolate provides an alternative, however. Fair-trade chocolate producers ensure that their offerings support cocoa workers and do not employ child labor. More and more shops in the area are stocking fair-trade chocolates, making it easy to buy delicious treats and support an important cause at the same time..
Ten Thousand Villages in Evanston is one of those shops, offering customers the fair-trade chocolate brands Divine Chocolate and Equal Exchange, to rave reviews. “We have repeat customers who buy either Divine or Equal Exchange chocolate bars specifically because they know they are fair trade and no child labor is used,” says Cheryl Nester-Detweiler, assistant manager of Ten Thousand Villages. “Other customers, though, buy the chocolate because it tastes great and the quality is really superior to mass-produced and non-fair-trade chocolate.”
Fair-trade certification ensures that farmers and workers received a fair minimum price for their products, helping them support their families and send their children to school rather than into the fields. Most Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate sold in the United States is also certified organic and shade-grown, which helps maintain the biodiversity of cocoa-cultivating ecosystems, provides shelter for migratory birds and uses less energy than conventional farming.
Seattle-based Theo Chocolate is the first and only organic and fair-trade certified bean-to-bar chocolate maker in the United States, and its classic bars can be found at Whole Foods throughout the area. “At Theo, we believe that chocolate tastes best when it is produced both ethically and sustainably,” says Laura Stellwagen Zeman, Theo Chocolate Ambassador. “In order to survive, and even thrive, 
farmers to factory employees to the environment must be respected. Our IMO [Institute for Marketecology] FairForLife certification requires yearly audits and continual improvement to guarantee fair payment, prevent forced labor and meet stringent environmental criteria.” The Institute for Marketecology is an independent, non-profit certifying body based in Switzerland with a reputation for high-quality standard development and inspection in 90 countries.
In some cases, the farmers are also co-owners of their farms, which gives them a greater voice in their business and livelihoods since they have an impact on the decisions being made. In the case of Divine Chocolate, the farmers pooled their resources to set up a “Kuapa Kokoo.” Kuapa Kokoo, which literally means “good cocoa growers,” is a cooperative that has a mission to empower farmers in their efforts to gain a dignified livelihood, to increase women’s participation in all of Kuapa’s activities and to develop environmentally-friendly cultivation of cocoa. The success of Divine means that farmers have a secure source of fair-trade income that continues to grow year after year.
“Divine Chocolate is a dynamic example of how producers can transform themselves into powerful advocates and international businesspeople,” says Niki Lagos, Divine’s national sales manager. “Women (and men) from small, remote villages in Ghana have turned themselves into brand ambassadors to the United States and Britain of their own chocolate company. And that brand, Divine, is generating real value with real staying power.”
The cacao farmers who are part of the Kallari Association cooperative in Ecuador are realizing similar benefits. Their cacao farms are 100-percent farmer-owned, as well as both organic and Rainforest Alliance third-party certified, according to Martha Nolin, president of Chicago-based Kallari USA. “Kallari chocolate is produced by the Kallari Association cooperative, whose members are indigenous Kichwa in the Ecuadorian Amazon, and they make a chocolate bar that rivals the flavor profile of the highest-quality European gourmet dark chocolates.” Nolin adds that by making their own finished chocolate, Kallari members have the potential to earn more than three times the income per pound of cocoa beans.
As consumers, we can raise the bar and enjoy chocolate without guilt and with the knowledge that fair trade does indeed make a difference around the world.
Resources:
Kallari Foundation, 910 S. Michigan Ave., #1614, Chicago 60605. 312-789-8089. Kallari.com.
Ten Thousand Villages, 719 Main St., Evanston 60202. 847-733-8258. Evanston.TenThousandVillages.com
Megy Karydes is a Chicago-based freelance writer and founder of World Shoppe, a fair-trade wholesale importing company that works with artisans in South Africa and Pakistan. For more information, see WorldShoppe.com.
